Locking mechanism for trolleys.



vN0. 870,305. PATENTED NOV.'5, 1907.

E. Y. MOORE.

LOOKING MECHANISM FOR TROLLBYS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1907.

TH: NORRIS PETERS cm, wnsmucrow. n. c,

UNTTED STATES PATEN T OEETCE.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR TROLLEYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907'.

Application filed June 8. 1907. Serial No. 377,889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Y. Moons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Locking Mechanism for Trolleys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to trolleys adapted to travel on a suitable support and carry aload. The trolley may or may not be combined with raising mechanism to make a traveling hoist, as desired.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient clamping device adapted to lock the trolley to its track at any desired point, while not interfering with the movement of the trolley along either a curved or straight track.

The invention resides in the means by which these advantages areattained, as will be hereinafter described and definitely set out in the claims.

My locking mechanism is shown herein as embodied in a trolley which is the subject matter of my divisional application No. 3915 18, filed Sept. 6, 1907. The essential characteristics of the trolley are claimed in that application. My clamp is well adapted for cooperation with such trolley and has some features which render it especially desirable for a trolley adapted to travel on a curved track-way. The clamp, however, is not limited to the embodiment shown but may be associated with any suitable trolley.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of my trolley, supported on a suitable I-beam. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same, the plane of the section being indicated by 'the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section in a plane parallel with Fig. 1, on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan taken just above the lower flange of the I-beam, as indicated by the line 44 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pair of cam members located at either side of the I-beam, and adapted to clamp such flange.

Referring to the parts by reference numerals, 10

represents an I-beam support, on the lower flange 9 of which the trolley rides. The frame of the trolley is shown as composed of a pair of members extending onto opposite sides of the 'I-beam and connected together beneath the I-beam. The frame may thus be described as being generically of a U-shape. As shown, it has portions 11 which are opposite the web of the I-beam and are inclined parallel with the normal to the top surface of the flange 9 of the I-beam. At their lower edges, these side members 11 continue outwardly and then downwardly in the offset portion 12, and then inwardly, as shown at 13 beneath the I-beam, and finally downwardly as shown at 14, where they are held together by bolts 15. 19 represents a suitable supporting eye, which is shown as carried by l the trolley frame, beneath the I-beam. This is to be taken as illustrative of any load supporting device which is carried by or mounted on the trolley.

The trolley is supported by wheels 16, which ride on the lower flange 9, being mounted on studs 18 carried by the portions 11 of the frame. These wheels 16 are flangeless. By reason of these wheels being inclined and standing normal to their inclined support, as shown, they tend to properly center the trolley on the support.

To insure against lateral displacement or binding, I provide guide rollers 20, mounted on vertical pins 21. These rollers are located in the offset portion of the frame, the upper ends of the pins extending into the frame approximately at points where it bends outwardly, and the lower ends extending into the horizontal portion 13 of the frame. These rollers ride against the vertical edge of the I-b'eam flange 9. This construction enables the hoist to freely pass around curves without binding, which has heretofore resulted from flanges on the supporting wheels. Moreover, such flanges have always been a source of wear, which my hoist avoids. The construction is simple and is capable of embodiment in a very compact form, as shown. I

'The mechanism so far described constitutes the subject matter of my divisional application referred to. With such trolley, and with other trolleys adapted to be shifted freely along a' track, it is very desirable that y a lock be provided to clamp the trolley wherever desired, to such track. This I accomplish by a very simple mechanism mounted in the trolley frame. As shown, 30 represents a shaft extending crosswise beneath the flange 9 and loosely mounted at its ends in cars 31 extending from the offset portion 12 of the frame. Between these ears, and rigid on the shaft, are a pair of arms 32 which are keyed on the shaft and are prevented shaft and bearing against the outer side of the arms. This nut may have its edge scalloped, (as shown in Fig. 2), whereby it may be locked by a suitable pin 34, screwing into the arm. The inner faces of the arms are provided with inclined or cam surfaces 35. Cooperating with these surfaces are complementarily inclined surfaces 36, on a pair of hubs 37 which are freely slidable on the shaft. These hubs have upwardly extending shoes 38 which are adapted to engage the vertical edge of the flange, and lock the trolley thereto when the shaft is rocked by the arms 32.

The hubs of the shoes are prevented from turning by reason of the shoe portion 38 extending downwardly in a straight line and abutting the vertical web 39 which extends inwardly from the frame. Between the two hubs 37 is a helical spring 40, surrounding the shaft 30 and compressed between the two hubs. The arms 32 are provided, one with a tubular extension 42, and the from outward movement by nuts 33, screwing onto the other with a stud 43, which telescopes within such tube. By this arrangement, the arms and their telescoping connection make a suitable bail by which the shaft may be rocked; at the same time, the construction allows adjustment of the arms on the shaft to provide for wear of the clamping shoes, as well as for original setting.

When the bail depends vertically, as shown in the drawings, the shoes 38 stand some distance from the edge of the flange 9 and the trolley is free to move. When the bail is swung upwardly into a substantially horizontal position, the cam surfaces 35 force inwardly the hubs 37, causing the shoes to clamp the fiange and thereby lock the trolley.

As the clamping action does not become effective until the bail. is in nearly the horizontal position, the bail furnishes a very convenient handle for shifting the trolley. The trolley being hung overhead, the pull on the bail is diagonally downward, which operates to draw the trolley along, without clamping it. When it is in the proper position, a slight upward movement of the bail clamps the trolley. The clamp then remains in set position by its own friction, until released by a downward pull on the bail By having the shaft of the clamp loosely mounted in the frame, the whole clamp may shift laterally to allow the trolley to travel around a curve. Such curve is indicated by broken lines in Fig. 4, where it will be seen that the lateral shifting of the clamp will prevent it interfering with travel around the curve and at the same time enable it to act to clamp the trolley at such point, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. The combination of a trolley adapted to travel on a trackway which may be curved and a clamp adapted to bind the trolley to its support, said clamp being laterally shil'table to allow the trolley to move around such curve.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of a frame, flangelcss supporting wheels carried by the frame, lateral guide wheels carried by the frame, whereby said frame may be freely shifted, and a laterally shit'table clamp adapted to bind said frame to its support.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of a frame, supporting wheels carrying the same, a transverse shaft mounted in the frame, a pair of clamplng shoes slid-ably mounted on the shaft, cooperating cam surfaces between the shaft and shoes and adapted to move said shoes, and means for rocking the shaft.

-l. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with the trolley of a transverse shaft, :1 pair of clamping shoes slidably mounted thereon, cam surfaces movable therewith, and cooperating cam surfaces rigid with said shaft, and means for rocking the shaft.

:3. The combination with the support and mechanism adapted to travel thereon, of across shaft, a pair of hubs slidable thereon and carrying clamping shoes for engag ing the support, a spring surrounding said shaft and pressing said hubs, outwardly, and means for forcing the hubs inwardly.

6. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with the trolley of a transverse shaft, :1 pair of clamping shoes slidably mounted thereon, cam surfaces rigid with said shaft adapted to engage and move said shoes, and a spring surrounding the shaft and tending to press said shoes outwardly.

7. The combination with the support and mechanism adapted to travel thereon, of a cross shaft, a pair of hubs slidable thereon and carrying clamping shoes for engaging the support, a spring surrounding said shaft and pressing said hubs outwardly, cam surfaces rigid with the shaft whereby the rocking of the shaft forces the hubs inwardly, and arms rigid with the shaft whereby it may be rocked- 8. The combination with the trolley of a shaft mounted thereon, members rigid therewith and having cam surfaces on their inner faces, hubs slidable on said shaft and having cooperating cam surfaces, clamping shoes carried by said hubs, means for preventing the rotation of said hubs, and a spring surrounding the shaft and tending to force the hubs outwardly.

9. The combination of mechanism adapted to travel on the lower flange of an I-beam, of a shaft extending crosswise beneath such I-beam, a pair of shoes slidable on the shaft adapted to engage the opposite edges of the I-beam, cooperating cam surfaces between said shoes and members rigid with the shaft, and means for rocking the shaft.

10. The combination with the trolley of a shaft mounted thereon, a pair of arms rigid with the shaft but adjustable thereon, cam surfaces on the inner faces of said arms, a telescoping connection between said arms whereby they may be adjusted and still form a bail, and clamping shoes operated by said cam surfaces.

11. The combination with the trolley of a shaft mounted thereon, a pair of arms keyed to the shaft and having cam surfaces on their inner faces, nuts screwing onto the shaft for limiting the outward position of the'arms, a telescoping connection between said arms whereby they may be adjusted and still form a bail, and clamping shoes operated by said cam surfaces.

12. In mechanism adapted to travel on a trackway, the combination of a frame, fiangeless supporting wheels carried thereby, guide wheels on vertical journals, and a clamp loosely carried by the frame and adapted to shift laterally.

13. The combination with an I-beam, of a mechanism adapted to travel on the lower flange thereof comprising a frame, supporting wheels riding on such iiang guiding wheels adapted to engage the edge of the flange, and u clamp adapted to engage the opposite edges of the flange, said clamp being loosely carried by the frame to allow it to shift as a whole when the mechanism passes around a curve.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto :iflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD Y. MOORE.

Witnesses ALBERT H. BATES, BRENNAN B. WEST. 

